Daughter of Honor
by Imladiel.SmartsyWafflez
Summary: "Juniper Allison Bartleby. Our hope. Our song." Little four year old, Juniper, lost in a new world, with a new family. What is she to do when her world is turned upside down, with no chance of it righting itself once more?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **

Hello, guys! I really hope you like this.

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Daughter of Honor

Chapter 1: Little Juni Bartleby.

Elissa Bartleby, a small-town American mother of three, has an early start this morning. Her husband will be returning home from a business trip, and she wants the house to be spotless. However, what was she to do with her little munchkins? Oh! It is Thursday, of course. She wakes up and prepares both breakfast and lunch for her children. Her eldest son, Edward Bartleby, is in the fifth grade, her middle child, Mary Bartleby, is in the third grade, and finally, her youngest, Juniper Bartleby, is just starting kindergarten.

Elissa walks in to wake her little boy up for the day, but as she walks in, she steps on quite a few legos. "Edward James Bartleby!" she yells at her half-awake son. Edward just smiles at her sheepishly, and looks at the floor, pondering whether or not he should clean them from the floor. Edward is a mischievious character. He is always running around, getting dirty in his Sunday clothes, pulling pranks on the next door neighbors, and the list continues to grow. He always has to be the best, and is everything a young boy should be. "Up you go, you little rascal. Be glad your father isn't home, yet. He would have his playful revenge."

The mother then wakes her second eldest Mary. Mary is sleeping peacefully with her pillow-pet underneath her head and her kitten at her feet. "Mary, sweetie, it is time for you to wake up. You have a big day today. We all do."

Mary rubs her eyes before opening them, but when she sees her mother smiling fondly at her, she smiles from ear to ear, "Papa comes home today!" Her mother nodded, and Mary jumps from her bed and begins preparing for school. She is completely a papa's girl. She is always shadowing him when he is home, or waiting by the window for his return (that is if she cannot go with him on his trips).

Elissa smiles at her child, and goes to wake the youngest, but she does not wake her immediately. She watches her from the doorway, the light of the hallway forming her shadow across the carpet. She watches as her baby girl, little Juniper, sleeps peacefully for the first time in what seems to be ages. Her peacefully sleeping is so rare in fact, that Elissa was almost tempted to let her skip the day of school.

Juniper has been having a rather difficult time sleeping recently, just as most children her age do, but they [her dreams] seem to be different than that of the other children. Her dreams are reoccurring, and rather terrifying for even her mother to hear about. Her older siblings both had dreams of robots kidnapping them, or giant ant-eaters taking over the world, simple things like that, but she- she has dreams of black creatures chasing after her. Dreams of war and death. Dreams of one whom she says is equivalent to Satan himself, and her mother can agree.

Elissa wipes away a tear from her eyes as she sees her daughter stir. _Something in my gut tells me something just isn't right._

Juniper wakes up to see her mother standing in the doorway, crying. "Mama? Wha' w'ong? Papa home 'oday! You s'ood smiw!" Elissa runs to her baby and holds her tightly. "Mama?"

"Good morning, love," Elissa smiled sadly at her little red-headed girl. "Let's get you ready for Kindergarten. Today is show-n-tell. Have you picked your ten objects?" Elissa said as she helped the sleepy toddler dress.

"Yes, Mama. I pick d'ese!" Juniper said with pride in her decisions. Elissa looked at the stack on top of the child-sized table.

Juniper had picked out her favorite family photo album with pictures from even before she was born. She also picked out a few books, but a couple catch her mother's eye. "Sweetie, you can't even read these," Elissa gently speaks to her child, but Juni will have none of it.

"Mama! You an' Papa rea' em 'oo me! 'Member?" Juniper protests, bouncing her wavy red hair.

"Yes, yes," her mother stifled a laugh. A book she had picked out is one of Greek Mythology, tales her father would tell her as bedtime stories. The second book is a Disney storybook that consists all of her favorite stories. The final book is a history book that she has had her father and mother read to her.

After setting the books back onto the table, she notices that there are only nine things on the table. Juniper is supposed to have ten. "There are only nine things for show-n-tell. Where is the tenth?" Her mother asked. Juniper smiles as she pulls a stool out from under her bed, and on it, she attempts to reach a her white jewelry box. She takes out her custom locket that was made for her before she was born.

The locket is a silver heart that entwines itself around a white diamond. Around the edge of the locket, there are engravings that say: "Juniper Allison Bartleby. Our hope. Our song." Inside the locket is a picture of her grandparents, parents, and siblings.

Juniper wasn't supposed to live, so the locket is a resemblance of the support she had through her illness as a babe. "This is my las' it'm!" Juni held the chain high, silently asking her mother to put it around her neck. And after a moment of gazing in awe at her strong daughter, she hooked the necklace around the little girls neck, and proceeded to pull up her hair.

After only a few passing moments, Juniper now has braided pigtails and is almost ready for school. She and her mother pack her backpack, and are ready for breakfast.

Downstairs, the two elder siblings had already started their food, tired of waiting on their mother and sister. "You said grace, correct?" Elissa asked her children. They nodded a 'yes' with their cheeks puffed out, full of scrambled eggs.

After breakfast, the two elder children loaded the school bus, and the youngest was waiting to get into the locked car. Though, right when her mother opened the door, the little girl started to do the ever-so-famous potty dance. Elissa sighed, but unlocked the house once more, allowing the little girl, still carrying her backpack, to the downstairs bathroom.

The little girl shuts the door behind her and sits her backpack beside the door. After she cared for her business, she pulls her backpack on once more, but something was strange. The light grew brighter, and she walked toward the body mirror. Her emerald eyes evaluating herself, but what she is seeing is not herself. She sees plains with roaming horses, and without thinking, she touches the mirror, but her fingers did not feel the cold glass. Instead, her hand went right through and felt a breeze.

Curiosity took over her, and she stepped into the mirror, but once through, there is no return. She cries out in panic, searching for her mother, father, grandparents, or even Aunt Vickie (whom she hated so), anyone that she knew, but she was alone.

She wanders around the plains, trying to find help from a police officer she had hoped, but there are none. Why would there be? After all, this was inside her mirror, in the middle of nowhere. She sits down on the grass, says a little prayer, and cries herself to sleep for the night.

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Prince Theodred is out riding today with his father, King Theoden, for the first time in a long time. Both have been looking forward to the father-son quality time they now share for roughly a week now. They spoke of politics and other matters, but really, they only jested amongst each other, but when both eye the little girl looking for something to eat, their jokes are set aside. Theoden calmly makes his way toward the little girl. "Hello, little one," he says, calmly, but his face showing little sign of emotion. The little girl snaps her head, eyes wide with shock and terror. "I apologize. I did not mean to startle you." The girl is not reassured, however.

"Mama say' not to tawk to stwangers," she mumbled as she backed away, tripping over her backpack.

"And who is your mama, little one?" Theoden asks as he helps the little girl up from the ground.

"Mama is Elissa Bartleby," she speaks with hesitation, "An' Papa is Keith Bartleby." Her tears begun to fall as she mentioned her parents. How the king wanted to help this little girl.

Theoden looks up to his son. "And what is your name?" Theodred asks.

The little girl with the messy red pigtails only looks at Theodred and stutters, "I am Juniper Bartleby." After silence over took the three, Juniper starts to cry once more. "I am los'. I was in our bathroom at home, an' now, I'm here. Its been 'wo [two] days since I h've eaten, too..."

"Well, little one," Theoden says to Juniper, "Why don't you stay with my son and I until we can find your family?"

The little girl, who was still afraid of the man, readily accepted the offer. Anything to help her find her mama and papa.

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**A/N- **What do you guys think? Constructive criticism is welcome (Ridicule is not). ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- **

**Hello, you guys! So excited for this update! **

**Borys68- I'm so glad you find this refreshing! Eowyn is 3 at the time this all took place, thus Theodred was roughly 20. He was 41 I believe when he had fallen. I'm not quite sure what you meant by movie or book, though. If it answers anything, I am using whichever works for the stories benefit. :)**

**KathyG- Yay! People find it cute! That makes me so happy. I, too, am looking forward to how this goes. It started out as a dream on my part (I had fallen asleep while watching The Two Towers), and though I have a story line, how I get to the end is totally up in the air. So, I'm excited. As for your question, maybeeee, but that is for you to find out! ^_^**

**Knowing Grace- Another person who thinks its cute! :D I'm so happy I was able to please people with this, and I seriously hope I do not let anyone down in this chapter or in chapters to come. **

**All of these reviews make my day so, so, so much better! (and thanks to the followers as well! Can't leave you out! ^u^) Thanks so much! **

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Daughter of Honor

Chapter 2: The Mystery

"King?!" Juniper exclaims for the billionth time as the three enter the large hall. She stares at the Theoden with wide eyes that are full of awe.

Theoden and Theodred chuckle at the little girl in front of them. "Yes, Juniper. A king and a prince. Is that really so difficult to believe?" Theodred asks the little girl in pure amusement. Never before had they received shock and giddiness once their identities are known. "Close your mouth, young one. You will catch bugs."

Juniper, after doing as she is told, feels a wave of fear come over her. She begins to shake, and she looks around, as if she were trying to find an escape. "I know I ma'e a mis'ake, but..." she wandered off, her voice fading into silence. "Are you goin' to pu' me in the dun..dun-jons?" she asked, sounding out the word 'dungeons'.

Both father and son look at the child before them in complete confusion. Theoden kneels on one knee so he is eye level with Juniper. He asks the girl, "Pray tell, what would give you such an idea, little one?"

Juniper, whom had her head hanging low in fear, looks up at the royal man before her. "Be'ause that is wha' happens in all of t'e stowies," she says softly.

"Stories? I have heard no such thing in stories of kings and princes," Theoden speaks gently. "So you have nothing to fear. Come, child. Let us get you to a room and something to relieve your hunger. What do you say?" Juniper beams up at the man and his son, walking between the both of them- her tiny hands holding on to the hands of the men beside her.

They walk in silence, until Theodred speaks. His voice is so unexpected that Juniper jumps slightly, but she immediately relaxes. "You know. I have a feeling you would love to meet my little cousin, Eowyn. She seems to be about your age," he says. "She is three."

Juniper giggles, "She's not my age, silly! She is a year yo'nger th'n me!"

"Close enough," Theodred mutters, earning a chuckle from his father.

"Can I reawy mee' her?" Juniper asks Theoden, who gives a single nod in consent.

"Only after you have eaten and rested, child," Theoden says. Almost as soon as the words departed from his mouth, the three arrived at the little girl's room. "This is Lavinia. She will be taking care of you for the time being."

"Hello, Juniper," the nursemaid smiled at the young girl. While Theodred was occupying the young girl with a discussion of legends, Theoden had requested Lavinia's assistance in taking care of this little girl until her family was found. Lavinia is the daughter of Theodred's nursemaid, and a character perfect for watching this child for a time.

"Hi," Juniper shyly speaks. She twirls her left braid around her finger, as Lavinia and Theoden are speaking. Normally, Juniper would try to decipher what grown ups are saying, but it was impossible for her this time for they were speaking in another language. She stops twisting her braid,however, when another man dressed in armor, joins the conversation. Juniper notices the look on King Theoden's face when the guard is speaking to him, and suddenly fears for what is to come.

Lavinia smiles reassuringly at her king, "You need not worry. She will be quite alright." Theoden nodded to the nursemaid and smiled at Juniper before departing. Theodred followed behind his father after only a few brief words to Juniper.

"Lets get you cleaned and fed, Juniper," Lavinia gently comforts.

"Juni."

"Excuse me?" Lavinia asks the red-headed girl.

Juniper looks up at Lavinia and gives a faint smile, "You ca' call me Juni."

Lavinia smiles at little Juni, and she says, "Only if you call me Lavi." Juniper beamed at Lavi and followed her into the room to clean and eat.

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Theoden and Theodred are finally relieved. They are now complete with the government affairs, but they still have a pressing matter at hand. What do they do with Juniper Bartleby? The redheaded four year old that was found with pigtail braids and an odd bag hanging on her back. They did not bother asking the little girl where she lived, but the two are positive she lives in Edoras. After all, how far can one girl travel on her own? Surely not far.

To Theoden's request, Eomer (whom had been informed of the situation earlier), Theodred, and a select few guards personally search Edoras for the Bartleby family. They begin knocking on doors, stopping those wandering about the streets, and even trying the stables, but it was to no avail. When Theoden had heard of the failure, he ordered ten guards to search the city throughout the week. Maybe the family is accidentally avoiding the chances to see their child. Maybe they are worried sick over the young ones disappearance and have not been able to find the guards.

However, when this fails, Theoden becomes worried, and even more so, frustrated. He sends out an order for any one in Rohan that has sees a Bartleby, to send them straight to the King's halls- to Meduseld, for they had a child to claim and questions to answer. Alas, after months on in, this also fails.

"Where could this poor child's family possibly be?!" Theoden growls to his nephew and son, after ripping a parchment into pieces. Eomer and Theoden share a look between each other, and turn back to face Theoden. "Even when I ask her, she will not tell me the name of her village!"

"She has told you, but you never listened, Father," Theodred speaks calmly.

"_What?_" Theoden dared his son to elaborate, in which he had;

"Fairbanks, Alaska, so she tells. Also, she says she comes from a country named America."

"America, nor Fairbanks, nor Alaska have ever been in existence. Check the maps, those places are not there. Check the library, those places of which she speaks are no where written in them," Theoden scoffs.

"We know this," Eomer added, "She is not from anywhere on the maps. She has no home, no family, no friends, other than Eowyn, Theodred, and I- She is alone."

Theoden sighs, "We shall speak to the wandering wizard upon his return, for now," Theoden stands up and walks toward the entryway of his palace. He takes a moment to gaze over his homeland- his people. He memorizes the smell of the air and the sounds of laughter from nearby. Slowly, he turns to Theodred and asks, "What would you say if we took her in as your little sister?"

"That is most welcome," Theodred smiles, selfishly pleased with the outcome. Who cares about her family? They abandoned her, and now she has a better one.

"And what about a little cousin?" Theoden looks to Eomer, who grins. Theodred's smile wavers at the question. He had believed that his answer was enough.

"Eowyn would be thrilled," Eomer said.

Théoden asks, "And you?"

"Just as I am to have another cousin." Truth is, the four members of the royal family [Eowyn included] and Lavinia had grown so accustom to the little girl's antics and stories that they had secretly prayed that the Bartlebys could not be found.

Theoden smiles and looks out to his village, "Then, it is settled."

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**A/N: What do you guys think? Did I let you down? I will definitely go back and rewrite it if I had, just tell me! :)**

**I don't know when I can update again. I am only home on Wednesdays and I usually don't feel like writing then, so I wait until Saturday and Sunday. Agggh! Many responsibilities! (which is a good thing, in a way), but still. D: **

**Oh well. **

**Like it? (:**

**Hate it? 3:**

**Constructive Criticism? ^_^;**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N-**

**Wow! Thank you guys for being so patient with me. I should be home more often starting December the sixth, because the fifth is the last marching band event that I have this year. Believe it or not, band is hard work and very time consuming. (Even now, I should be practicing, but I feel like writing today)!**

**Also, I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, you will see what little Juni is thankful for.**

**So! Since it has been so long, let's recap. **

**Juniper Bartleby, a four year old from Fairbanks, Alaska, steps into a mirror. She is in the plains of Rohan, more specifically, Edoras, without a family. Theoden King, offers this little girl a place to stay until her family is found. He believes this little girl is from Edoras, but Theodred are not so sure. Theoden has decided to consult Gandalf the Grey the next time he is found.**

**The year in Middle Earth is roughly TA 2998 (only because Eowyn is three at the time.)**

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Chapter 3: Giving Thanks

It has been a little over a month since Juniper's adoption into the royal family, which in itself caused a lot of issues. Once it was announced to the streets, by Theoden himself, the citizens seemed to be joyous... for the most part that is.

The majority holds mixed feelings about the adoption. She will be entitled to the same rights and social standing as her brother, Theodred, and cousins, Eomer and Eowyn, have- this is not including both Theoden, and Eomer's and Eowyn's parents. Should anything happen to the family members, she will be named heir to the throne, though she is not of the same bloodline.

Which, in the minds of the royal family, shouldn't be a complete issue. It is unlikely that she would ever be fully responsible for the Rohirrim. The only way possible is if she decided to kill off everyone in the family, but this little girl is too innocent, not only that, but even as she grows older, how in the world will she pull that off?

She wouldn't nor could, and Theodred has strong faith in his new little sister.

When Theoden is busy, and Lavinia has other responsibilities, Theodred takes charge in caring for his little sister... Though, it is more like reading her stories, or playing with her, or even taking her to visit Eowyn, whom she befriended very quickly.

Even today, little Juni and 'big brother' Theodred are going to visit Eowyn and Eomer, that is if their parents allow it. Though, their really shouldn't be any reason in doing so. Now, Theodred and Juniper are headed to their cousins' home by foot.

"The weather is quite fair today, and the ground may still be damp, but it isn't-" Theodred is talking to his little sister as they walk. Little Juni is quiet this morning, something even a deaf man would know to be rare, and he waits for her to say what is on her mind.

"Mushy..." Juni mumbles, but finishes his sentence. Theodred pauses in his steps and kneels down on one knee in order to be eye level with Juni. He keeps a calm and joyous look etched on his face, but deep down, he is terrified of what might be ailing his little sister.

"That's right. The ground is not _mushy,_ so how about we go riding?" Theodred suggests.

The only response he receives from the little girl, is a nod.

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"Theodred, has my niece _ever_ ridden a horse before?" Eomer's mother, Theodwyn, asks. Of course she hasn't, she is only four years old, and from the sound of it, horses are not used often where she hailed. "Theodred?" she asks, more stern this time. "Has she ever ridden a horse before?"

"No, she has not," Theodred replies with his shoulders tense. He knew what was coming.

"Did you receive my brother, your father's, permission? She is still quite young," Theodwyn asks. Juniper, in her mind only, calls her a fun sponge. After all, what else can she do today?

"I did not. The thought came to me merely four minutes before we arrived at your door," Theodred says.

Eomer decideds to add on, "It wouldn't hurt to take the little ones out for a ride, as long as we are careful."

"No! Three years old? Four? Maybe in a couple of years..." Theodwyn denies permission, but her husbund, Eomund, also does not think it to be a bad idea. As all of the arguing and persuasion continue before them, Eowyn and Juniper grow bored, and how do two children quench their thirst of entertainment? They sneak away.

Which is exactly what the two girls do. With Juniper leading, they sneak into the kitchen and find it unattended... Actually, there is an adult in the room, but she is fast asleep. This is perfect for little Juni and her best friend and cousin, Eowyn. This isn't the first time they have sneaked into the kitchen searching for sweets, but this is the first time someone didn't know they were there.

Juniper, unable to reach the jar of cookies sitting on the counter, pulls a chair and hoists herself up, but it is in vain. She absolutely cannot reach the jar. Eowyn sits on the floor with her thumb in her mouth as she watches the older girl try and reach sweets for the two. However, Juniper becomes distracted by a flicker of light outside.

The flash of light reminds her of her old home, a place where the sunlight would catch on the metal of a car and become a blinding beauty. A place where the teeter-totters would creak, and the sunlight would smile on her and her siblings. A place where her parents would read her bedtime stories and sing. A place she fears she will never see again.

She fights back the tears, and she pulls Eowyn off the ground. Eowyn doesn't mind, because both girls hear the adults looking for them. They hurry quickly out of the door and into the yard, they will search for the source of the light.

It doesn't take long, and Juniper finds the object that had captured her attention, and she falls in grief and begins to sob. Little Eowyn, though three years of age, still hugs her dearest cousin in confusion. She has no clue as to why Juniper is crying. _Didn't she find what she was looking for?_ These are the thoughts of Eowyn as she hugs Juniper tightly, and she begins crying, too.

Juniper wouldn't have been so emotional, but it is her mother's pin. The pin is of a golden phoenix, a bird that she knows as "the one with a new beginning". It also has much sentimental value, not only having it been her mother's, but also the story behind it. The story of a young woman who loses her way through the labyrinth of life, but finds a hope through her family and finds the happiness and freedom she has longed for.

Something that Juniper now understands.

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Theodwyn, Eomund, Eomer, and Theodred are completely relieved when they find the two girls in the garden, but Theodred knows something is up with his little sister. He hurries past his aunt and uncle, Eomer following not far behind, and both men check their siblings for any injury. Why else would they be crying?

"Did someone hurt you?" Theodred asks, pure anger slipping past his voice. Juniper, and Eowyn, shook their heads no.

"Then what ails the two of you?" Eomer asks, but the response he gets is unexpected. Juniper holds out her hand, showing the pin she had found.

"I-it was my mothers," she cries harder. "I-it is a Phoenix, a fire bird that rises from the ashes after death and becomes better than before. My mother always told me that this pin means we can make it safely through the lab-labereenth of life."

"A labyrinth?" Eomund asks from behind Theodred. Juniper sniffles, and Theodred picks her up.

"A bird that rises from the ashes and is better than before... I am thankful that I wasn't left there and I was given a chance to be better," Juniper says as she hugs her brother. "And I'm sorry for sneaking away..." she adds as she avoids eye contact.

"Would it make you feel better to go horse riding?" Theodred asks Juniper, and then Eowyn, "And you, too?" Eowyn nods.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Eomer chuckles, and he picks up Eowyn.

For the rest of the evening, Eomer, Theodred, Juniper, and Eowyn, all rode off into the distance, enjoying the company of each other, and not worrying over what is to come and what gone.

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**And done! What did you think? Like it? Hate it? Constructive criticism is always welcome. How else will I learn? Ridicule is unaccepted, however. **

**Sorry again for the delay, and I hope yesterday you _gobbled 'til you wobbled_( That, by the way, is my absolute favorite saying!) Happy Thanksgiving!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N-**

Hello, you guys! What's up? How has your winter been so far?

Borys68: Thank you so much for the input you have given me so far. There are some things that I just don't think about as I am writing. After all, there is always room for improvement. I may PM you if I have any questions that I cannot answer with my books. Thanks for the offer. Though, I'm not too worried about specific details, only because this is fanfiction and anything goes. However, the more accurate my fanfiction is, the better it may be. :)

Also, thanks to all of Juniper's followers, both new and old. There are only three chapters up, and there is already 11 followers? I find that to be great, personally. It makes me happy and motivated to write, even when I'm not feeling it.

The only reason I haven't updated is that busy schedule of mine. I know... It is a lame excuse, but oh well. My teachers are pretty awesome people, but they seem to forget that we also have lives. Just kidding. They know because they have a lot of their own work to do, not including grading this homework. I've just been so busy with school, and preparing for German convention, and preparing for the Concert Music Festival, exams, musical... yikes!

But I will update when I can. So hopefully by next weekend I can update this story.

Hopefully...

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Chapter 4: Is she dead, alive, or in the void between?

"_Juniper!" Elissa Bartleby yells in agony. Her daughter is missing. Was there someone in the house that she did not notice? Or did her little one run away? "Juniper, my child! Where are you?!" She sobs and screams, slamming every door open to find her child. She looks in every cabinet, every room, every closet, even in the basement... Juniper is nowhere to be found._

_Elissa races to the neighbors, knocking on every door, wating impatiently for the sleepy neighbors to open their doors for her. "Have you seen my little Juniper? Have you seen her anywhere?" The answer is always no, and so she calls to report a missing child. "You must wait 42 hours, miss, before you can file a missing persons report."_

"_This little girl is only four years old and nowhere to be found. The entire neighborhood is on the search for her, but nobody can find her. Please, this is my baby. My child!"_

_To this, the lady on the other side of the phone exclaims, "A child? Why didn't you say so a moment ago!" This is when the reel of questions (and answers) begin._

_One day, after a month of searching for her baby, the family receives the dreaded news of lost hope. The search was ended, much to the Bartleby family's dismay, and some of the neighbors even stopped looking. Though, most of the neighbors continued the search._

"_How stupid can a mother be? Letting their child go off on their own? I am done searching, and I hope you got what you deserve, woman," the grumpy neighbor, Stephen Badcocke, grumbles over the phone, clearly misguided. _

"_It was merely the bathroom! I let her go use the toilet in privacy! All people do that!" Elissa begins to become angrier by the second._

"_Whatever, woman. You know nothing."_

_This response, however, only made Elissa Bartleby grow uncharacteristically angry and frustrated. She throws her phone into the side of her house with all of her force, successfully breaking it to the point of no repair. She falls to her knees, then to her side, and she weeps and loses hope of ever seeing her baby girl again. Even the comforting hand of her, also grieving, husband, cannot help her feel any less pain. "Could my baby be dead? I don't want her dead. She's my baby!" Elissa sobs in her husband's arms._

"_Maybe, but I pray she is still living," he replies._

Juniper awakes with a start. Her pillows and sheets are covered in sweat and tears. She has also wet the bed. The poor child wails into the night after dreaming of her mother's sorrow. While hiding her face in her left arm, she clutches her locket so hard that her right hand knuckles turn a pale white. Theodred is the first to run in and check on his new little sister, and he is promptly followed by Theoden and Lavinia who had awaken due to the sudden outburst of grief and fear.

"What ails you, child?" Theoden asks as he helps the child out of the bed, but she cannot stop her heart-wrenching sobs. After a moment or two, Theoden orders Lavinia to take care of her first, then of the mess. He orders Lavinia to send Juniper to him once she is finished cleaning her up, before she begins on changing the bed sheets.

"Little one," Theodred tries to comfort the trembling child before him, "We will see you in a few moments."

Out in the hall, Theoden and Theodred are forced to listen to the child's pain. "What is the matter with the poor child? She sounds as if she is being attacked by orcs and goblins," Theodwyn asks, making her presence known. She and her children were planning on returning to Aldburg in the coming month, but she is now reconsidering the date of her departure.

"We do not yet know," Theoden says. "She has messed the bed and her gown for the first time in the months that she has been here, so Lavinia is taking care of that as we speak. Then, Juniper will be brought to us, and then maybe we can sort this issue out."

"It is probably only a nightmare," Theodwyn offers softly. "You remember when our sisters and myself used to get them, surely."

Theoden looks at his sister with concern in his eyes. Theodred spotting Eomer who is holding his sleeping sister in his arms. Theoden looks at the child in his nephew's arms before answering, "Aye, I remember it well..." He turns back to meet the saddened eyes of his sister. He adds softly, "Yet, what would she be having nightmares of? She has never seen an orc, goblin, troll... She has been kept out of the harms way. I have blinded her to the harsh reality of this world, Theodwyn. So, what _did_ she see that upset her so?"

"I suppose we can ask her that," Theodwyn says as she nods toward Juniper, who is dressed in a new gown and holding on to Lavinia's hand tightly. Her head hangs low, and she still weeps, but her tears are now silent, save for the occasional sniffle.

"Come here, little princess," Theoden holds out a hand, bidding her to take it. Reluctantly, she lets go of Lavinia's hand, and she walks toward her adoptive father, but says nothing. He and Theodwyn send the remaining children to another room. Theoden sits down, and Theodwyn in front of him with Juniper in her lap, snuggled close to her.

Juniper is still very sleepy, but answers are needed. If there was something she had seen, a spy, an orc, anything, he needed to know. The guards have already been ordered to make sure everything was in order. "Juniper," Theodwyn murmurs to the sleepy and weepy child in her lap. "Why do you cry?"

"I-it is my fault," Juniper sniffles, clutching the cloth of Theodwyn's gown tighter.

Theodwyn looks at Theoden with concern, who returns the same look. "Nothing is your fault, child," says Theoden.

"M-hm," Juniper shakes her head, still believing her guilt. "My mommy- she is hurting. My daddy thinks I am dead..." With this Juniper cries more. "Mary and Edward are sad, too. I hurt them by leaving." Juniper sobs in the arms of her aunt, who only offers consoling words in Rohirric. Theoden sighs and watches the young girl. He could never imagine losing Theodred, Eowyn, Eomer, and even Juniper. No parent should lose their child, ever.

"Come, child," Theoden extends his arms. Theodwyn hands the sniffling girl to her new father, who holds her close, singing a song he used to sing to his son when he was a babe. It isn't long before she falls asleep. He returns her to her room tucks her into her new sheets, but he does not leave. He sits in the corner of the room, and he remains awake to be sure his little girl would be alright. He ponders if Gandalf the Grey would ever return, or even if he does, could he help her at least be at peace in this world? Will he send her home? Despite the painful thought of losing Juniper, he believes it to be the only way she may truly overcome the guilt that has bottled up inside of her.

After a week or so, however, Juniper is playing with Eowyn again, being the mischievous munchkins that they are. "Always getting into trouble, those girls," Theodwyn sighs, but is content. "Poor Lavinia is always on her toes."

"Aye, but she does a good job of keeping them out of _too_ much trouble," Theoden chuckles. "Though, I can recall a time in which Lavinia _helped_ the two in their antics against my son and nephew. I found it to be quite comical."

Theodwyn cheerfully smiles, "Oh, yes! I remember that quite well! My dear Eomer didn't see it coming before he opened the door!"

"Ah, yes. Quite comical, indeed," Eomer sarcastically says as he walks into the room. Theodred is talking to the guards. "Unfortunately, we have no time to be talking over trivial things." He hastily adds, "There has been a group of orcs attacking the borders, my lord." This snaps his uncle back into his kingly state, "Theodred and I have ridden out to aid the guards. We have lost two guards and one civilian." Theoden moves his gaze to his son, and then back to his nephew.

"They are growing more bold," Theodred adds in concern.

"Yes, they are," Theoden agrees. "We shall wait a while longer before we attack them first. However, we double the guards at the borders."

"Of course, my lord," Theodred answers to his father and leaves to take care of the situation at hand.

Theoden looks to his sister, "I shall have escorts for you and your children when you are ready to leave for Aldburg. I am sure Eomund misses you dearly. You must talk to him."

"I am more calm, now," Theodwyn agrees. She contemplates on how her meeting with her husband will go after the argument the two had. "I am just nervous, is all."

"That is only natural, sister," her brother lays a comforting hand on her shoulder before walking away.

Only a mere week after the king and his sister had this discussion, Theodwyn, Eomer, and Eowyn depart from Edoras. It would break your heart to see their leaving and to witness Juniper's sorrow. Theodred is forced to hold her back, for she insists on going with them. Before Theodwyn mounts her horse, she opens her arms allowing Juniper to run to her. "It shall not be long before we see each other once more," she whispered to the little girl. Little did any of them know, the next time they meet will not be a happy visit. Theodwyn mounts her horse, and the group leaves for the Aldburg.

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How did you all feel about this chapter?

((I pinky promise she gets to meet Gandalf soon, okay?))

Reviews, followers, and favorites are welcome. _(Ridicule and telling me I should never write is 102% out of 100% unacceptable.)_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

Hey, everyone! Long time no see, right?

WRONG!

I made the deadline I set for myself in the last update, and I feel pretty accomplished about it so I will let you read the chapter in just a moment.

BUT FIRST!

DrummingFreak: I don't know if I should be honored by making you cry or if I should be sad? I am glad that you enjoyed the story so far. Oh, and don't worry! I will keep writing! I have been told in the past to stop writing both on this website and in English class after I was finished with my classwork. Which is rather odd, don't you think? The entire class stood up for me, even the people I hadn't spoken to. (Sorry for the tangent...) ^_^

Phoenix-Magic: Thank you so much! Being told that I have captured my characters' personalities means so much to me. Character development is one of my many weak points that I have been trying to improve, and hearing someone say that I am doing well- It is just great! Also, I'm glad you love little Juni. (: I was worried about her character simply because I am rarely around children (only the holidays).

venessa shaw: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you feel it is going well! :)

Also, thanks to all who favorited and followed my story. Getting that e-mail from Fanfiction makes me smile. It means so much to me, so much more than any of you can imagine.

This chapter takes place four years after chapter 3. (I know... Time jumps stink like orc poo, but it is necessary.)

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Chapter 5: From Edoras to the Aldburg

Autumn of T.A. 3002

For this first time in many years, Juniper and Theodred get to visit their cousins and Aunt Theodwyn. Her husband, whom Juniper has only met once, was slain earlier in the year by orcs, leaving Eomer the man of the house. Juniper had never heard of an orc before that day, and she had wished she would never have to hear of such foul creatures again. Despite her wish and being the child of Theoden King during the time of darkness, she is forced to hear the very same phrases monthly, if not weekly: "My lord," they would say referring to her father, "There has been an attack at-" They would also add to the end, "x civilians, y soldiers were killed during this attack." Those words made her blood boil and her heart ache, even more-so now that she is eight years old and learning the truth of the world.

This time, however, the sorrowful news the messenger brings is not that of an attack. No, it is informing the family on the matter of her Aunt Theodwyn's health, something that has begun to decline even before Eomund's death earlier in the year. Oh, how it hurt Juniper, but she does not cry this time. Instead, she puts on an emotionless façade and she travels with Theodred to see their aunt for the final time. Theoden does not wish for Juniper to witness such a thing as death, but Theodwyn had requested to see her little niece.

Thus, Theodred and Juniper ride to the Aldburg. Juniper hums the song that her mother used to sing to her, "What are you humming, Juni?" Theodred asks his sister in curiosity. It is the first sound she has made on this journey, yet, and he has never heard the tune before.

"_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,_

_Go to sleep ye little baby._

_When you wake, you shall have, _

_All the pretty little horses._

_Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,_

_Go to sleep ye little baby..._" Juniper's voice fades out as she transitions to humming due to her forgetting the rest of the lyrics, and yet, she ends up stunning her elder brother. Never before has he heard his sister sing a song of horses that he has never heard of, and well done, too?

Theodred looks at his sister and smiles, "Are you sure you were not born in Rohan, little sister?" She laughs and shakes her head no, and she begins to discuss her homeland. She talks about the bears, the trees and the forests, and the constant rain, all from what she could remember. "What do you miss the most about your country, other than the people in it?"

She rests her chin on her finger in thought. "I miss the Northern Lights..." she mumbles.

"What are those?" Theodred finds himself asking.

Juniper laughs, "Whatever I say would not do such wonder justice!" To this, Theodred bids her to try.

"Well, they are explosions of color in the night sky... Nature's beautiful way of describing it's peace and love with the waves of paint the stream past the stars. Oh, how I miss watching them!" Juniper notes, her eyes looking off into the distance in remembrance. "I may want to travel north one day, just to see if such a thing exists in this place."

"Not without myself, you will not go," Theodred sternly says. Then, he smiles and pats Juniper on the head, "I would never hope to miss witnessing such a thing myself." Juniper smiles widely, forgetting for a moment why she is out of Edoras with her brother and 3 soldiers- or in this case escorts.

"My lord," one of the said soldiers scowls, "What is the point in discussing such trivial things? Have you forgotten what lurks about?"

Theodred glares at the young soldier, "Hey, Juni..." He asks his sister without removing his glare, "Was there anyone like him in your world?" He turns his eyes to meet her biting back laughter.

"From what I remember, yes. There are many people such as him, without a doubt. But our neighbor, Mr. Badcocke, was a very grumpy man. I remember watching my brother sneak into his yard to get a toy that accidentally went over the fence, and the man near caused the neighborhood to become deaf with shouts as he scolded him for trespassing. It is the only thing I truly remember about him, though..."

"I see," Theodred hums. Though, his thoughts on the matter were cut short. A total of six orcs happen to make their presence known, and they ruthlessly began to attack. Theodred urges his sister to run as he cuts through an orc, yet in her fear she refuses to do as she is told. She screams and cries, and she wants to run. As an orc raises his weapon to her, she mimics a deer in the headlights, waiting to meet her end. Big brother, Theodred, comes to the rescue, though.

Juniper covers her face, screaming and crying although the orcs are all dead. The moment Theodred hears his sister scream, he is at her side and pulling her into a brotherly embrace. Tears fall on the green grass below them, washing off the black specks of orc blood. "Hush, Juni. It is all over," her older brother murmurs.

"_Why is it that I cause bad things to happen?_" she asks her elder brother in Rohirric, a language she has been learning for the past few years, through her sobs. It hurts him to hear his sister speak such things, but before he can say anything, she adds, "_My parents and siblings, Uncle Eomund, Aunt Theodwyn, and those... those scary creatures attacked us! They chased us just like they did in my dreams! Am I the black cat of luck?_"

Although Theodred doesn't understand her analogy, he attempts in comforting her by telling her that none of it was her fault. Though, he says it rather harshly which only succeeds in making her cry more. She is afraid, and he knows this. He also knows that she must learn to hide her fear, especially because she is apart of his family- a family that is responsible for a kingdom of people. Though...

"Everything will be alright, Juni. Let's just go to see Aunt Theodwyn, okay?" he says softly. She nods her head in agreement, and Theodred ties her horse to his, allowing Juniper to ride with him.

It isn't much longer until the group make it to the Aldburg. Theodred noticed the closer they were to his aunt's home, the more depressed and silent Juniper would get, and now that they are there, she just will not speak to him. She is also doing everything in a daze, as if she is in deep thought. Theodred sighs and picks up his little sister, who dislikes being held because she is "too old for it." He chuckles when she starts to fight against him. "Put me down, Theodred!" she yells.

"Look, Eomer! She is not mute!" Theodred exclaims to his cousin whom was hiding behind the corner with his sister.

"Nay, she is not! It's rather shocking, isn't it?" he adds. "Why, she has been silent from the moment I spotted her on the horse. Maybe it is because she was forced to ride with her smelly brother."

Theodred gives an affronted look to Eomer, but he directs it to his sister who says, "You do smell..." To this, Eomer laughs wholeheartedly for the first time in a long while. Inside, Theodwyn listens to the sound of her families laughter, and she prays to the Valar it will never stop.

"Why are you laughing, Eomer?" his own little sister asks. "You also smell unpleasant." He looks at the blonde little girl with wide eyes, and Eowyn adds, "You smell like horse dung." Of which, Theodred gets quite the laugh. While the two brothers were arguing, Eowyn and Juniper run off to the back, and they sit beside a tall tree.

"How are you faring, Eowyn?" Juniper asks her cousin, who breaks down in response. She understands death, and she understands that it will soon take her mother. "I know it is hard," she adds, "Losing both of your parents, but Eowyn... You still have Eomer, Theodred, Papa, and myself to lean on, okay? If you need anything, cousin, then come to one of us."

"Girls," Eomer says, effectively grabbing their attention. He had heard most of their conversation, and he is brought back to the sad reality. "Let us go inside."

Inside, the girls sit on the edge of the bed, one on each side of Theodwyn, and their brothers sit behind them. Theodwyn is awake, and she talks to the four of them. She is telling them stories, trying to get them to smile. She has Juniper retell some of the stories her mother and father used to tell her before she arrived in Rohan. Soon, she sends the group out of the room, asking Juniper to remain.

"Juniper," Theodwyn whispers. She opens her arms allowing Juniper to rest with her. She weakly says, "You are different, Juni. You know this, but what you do not know is that it will get worse, much worse, before light begins to shine through." Juniper cries into her aunt's gown, much like she had four years earlier, but there were no comforting words this time. "You must be strong, Juniper. No matter the situation, you _must_ do what you believe is right, even if it goes against the rules of society.

You are a gift, Juniper. A gift from the Valar, whether you believe it or not, and believe me when I say I _know_ you, Eomer, Eowyn, and Theodred will have an important role to play. I can feel it in my heart. I fear that you will let darkness take you, but never let that happen. Although you were not born to our family, I love you so much, child. Remember it." Theodwyn kisses the crying girl on the crown of her head, but then sends her to get Theodred, whom she also has some things to say to.

It isn't much longer, and she requests Eomer and Eowyn, Eowyn being last. Nobody knows what each person has been told, and nobody bothers asking. Theodwyn's words are to be heeded and respected, not gossiped. Theodred and Eomer put their sisters to sleep, and they remain awake for the remaining hours of the night.

As the girls awoke, they hear weeping from their brothers, and their hearts sink. They knew, and they couldn't believe it, especially Eowyn, who thought it would be another week or so. She isn't ready to be alone, not ready at all.

Two days later, Theoden arrives, as well as other family members, for the funeral. Sorrow fills the hearts of those in the Aldburg, and those in Edoras. Theoden also decides to bring Eomer and Eowyn to live in Meduseld. He feels it will be better for them to be away from the Aldburg for a time, and he would like to keep a close eye on them. He wants to keep them safe from the growing evil in the east, but in his heart, he feels as if he will fail protecting them.

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I know... sad. . I hope none of you are angry with the time jump, but it is necessary.

Love it? Like it? Hate it?

Constructive criticism is very much welcome, but ridicule is not at all accepted.

**Question of the chapter, feel free to leave your answer in a review:**

Which Tolkien character does Mr. Badcocke(the grumpy neighbor) seem most like?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

Hey, you guys. What's up? Hope all is well, quite literally. I have been sick since Saturday, and it absolutely sucks. Oh well. I managed to finish this chapter for you, so I hope you can all enjoy it. :)

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Phoenix-Magic: Mr. Badcocke is like Farmer Maggot! I have to agree. Haha! Thanks for your wonderful review. :)

DrummingFreak: Thanks!

Vera (guest): I'm glad you think it is interesting. I have yet to see a story such as this, and I thought I would give it a shot. I hope you enjoy it!

These reviews make my day, truly! They are what keep me motivated to write. :) Also, thanks for all of the favorites and follows! Getting alerted every time someone reviews, or adds the story to their favorite and follows list never fails to put a smile on my face.

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Chapter 6: Wizardry Is So Cool!

At the beginning of the year T.A. 3007, Juniper Bartleby, adopted daughter of Theoden King, is fifteen years old. Eowyn, her younger cousin, is fourteen. The two girls are in a room discussing trivial what-ifs. This is normal for the two girls, always going to the same room, sitting by the window to watch the sunrise until noon, and simply enjoying each other's company. The window, that they sit by daily in the Golden Hall of Meduseld, has the perfect view of Edoras. Eowyn doesn't much care for the view, merely because there is nothing interesting to her. She would prefer to be in the stables, but Juniper adores people-watching.

Although the view is not to Eowyn's liking, she becomes rather interested when she notices a strange man entering Edoras. She doesn't recognize him, neither does Juniper, but he is just so out of place with his grey clothes and pointed hat. "I wonder if that is how all men of Gondor dress," Eowyn ponders.

"If that were the truth," Juniper starts, "I may prefer to remain in Edoras, though I mean no offense to the man down there." Eowyn snorts uncharacteristically, but it only causes an eruption of laughter from both of the girls. So loud, in fact, that the dear Lavinia requested them to quiet down.

Lavinia, herself, was interrupted by Theodred, who also has something to say about the noise. "By the Valar," he grumbles, "Can I not have peace after returning from fighting a band of orcs? Can I not rest? Did you forget?" Typical of Juniper's elder sibling, but in response to this, Eowyn stares out the window in thought. Juniper, on the other hand, hangs her head low. She _had_ forgotten. Orc attacks have become so normal these days, that she sometimes forgets that her brother goes out to take care of them. She even wonders from time to time if maybe things would be different should she have remained in Alaska with her family; she wonders if it is safer.

Sighing, she slowly brings her head up to look at her brother. When their eyes meet, she whispers, "Please. Forgive me, my brother."

He looks at her with concern in his eyes, yet looking smug all the same. Sleepily and curiously, he walks to the window, looking out into the sea of people just leaving their houses for the day. He squints his eyes at the bright, early rays of the sun. "Naturally, you are forgiven." He pauses and looks to his right at the two girls. "What was so hilarious that had the two of you laughing maniacally?" Theodred asks them. The girls start to laugh again, but this time it is not quite so loud. "What happened?"

Of course, the girls wouldn't answer. "I shall explain later," Juniper says in between her laughter.

It is only a few minutes later that the group is summoned to Theoden King. Eowyn and Juniper ponders whether or not they will get into trouble. "Do not be absurd," Theodred tells us, "He would not be angry with you for your laughter."

"Ah! Here they are!" Theoden exclaims as he motions toward the group that has just walked through the doors. Eowyn spots her brother, Eomer, in the room and decides to stand next to him. Then, the other two follow and stand beside them. "Children," Theoden asks for our attention, "This is Gandalf the Grey."

"One of the Istari?" Eowyn ask, and I try to hide my interest and amazement to no avail.

"That is correct," Gandalf answers. "I have heard word of a newcomer's arrival, a child of whom hails from the mortal world. I have come to speak with her on the matter." He looks at me, eyes filled with mirth, "However, it does seem that I am a bit late."

"Late, my friend?" Theoden teases. Gandalf looks up at him incredulously until Theoden adds, "I thought wizards are never late, nor early, but they arrive precisely when the mean to?" Gandalf chuckles at his friend's comment.

"Keep this secret," Gandalf jests. He turns to Juniper, and all mirth seems to disappear in him. He wonders if talking to her of her home will be too painful for her, but the answers are needed. He _needs_ to know why the Valar brought a young child to this world, _if _it were by the will of the Valar. He _needs_ to know why the path between the worlds has been opened after it was supposedly closed for good. He _needs_ to know if she is a threat, and if not, will she be safe? "I would like to have a private word with you, Juniper Bartleby of America."

Juniper felt her heart jump to her throat. After all, he knows the country from whence she came, when the only people she has spoken to of it is the royal family and Lavinia, but no other has heard of the name America. "Of course," she nervously states. She leads the Istari to the field where she first arrived. "What is it that you need to speak to me of, my lord?"

"I just have a few questions I must ask of you," he says, as he looks down at her skeptically. She has a bad feeling about this wizard, but she doesn't know why she feels such a way. She thinks it is because he seems fearful of the answers she may give him. She wonders if her presence is causing turmoil that she hasn't seen yet.

"Please, feel free to ask me anything. I am sure my presence is troubling you, and if I can ease your mind in the slightest, I will be pleased to do so," Juniper states, voice laced with authority and also kindness.

"First, I must ask you about how you came to be here," Gandalf says as he motions toward the fields around him.

"In homes, there are these rooms that we would go to relieve ourselves. My mother, whom was waiting for me outside, allowed me to go back in and take care of... business," Juniper flushes in embarassment by the conversation, but she does not stop. "As I was washing my hands, I looked into the mirror that stands in our bathroom, and a bright light was shining through it. I stared at it in awe, but then it started to fade slightly, forming an image of the fields in which we stand now."

Gandalf, listening carefully to each and every word she says, places his pipe to his mouth. He says, "Go on."

"I was extremely curious, and I placed my hand against the mirror, but instead of it being the cold glass that mirrors are supposed to be, my hand went through. I didn't understand, so I tried with my other hand, then I took a step. However, once I was all the way through the mirror, and here in the plains, I could not find my way home. I could not find another mirror to send me back."

"Children are rather curious, and sometimes they are foolish, but it is how they learn," Gandalf mutters. "Theodred and Theoden mentioned your dreams. What are they like?"

Juniper scowls, "Of course they mentioned my dreams, because they are _so_ important."

Gandalf chuckles, but says, in all seriousness, "Dreams are important whether you believe in them or not."

Juniper sighs, and looks to the east. "Before I even arrived to Rohan, I had dreams of orcs chasing me, and their master ordering them around. I didn't know what orcs were at the time, and I still do not know who their master is, but I cannot handle them. Now, not only do I have dreams of those foul creatures, I also have feelings of my family in America, of places I have never seen nor heard of in Middle Earth, and sometimes I relive memories in my dreams. It is not something I understand, but it is something that I wish I could put an end to."

"That _is_ important, child!" Gandalf exclaims. "Have you seen anything in these dreams that may be of importance? Names? Places?" The wizard's sudden outburst puts Juniper on edge, and she begins to shake.

Tremulously, she says, "My dreams are usually silent, but I do remember one dream. There was a council in a beautiful valley. I do not know who was there, but it seemed to be of great importance. That is all I can recall for you."

"It is likely that you have the gift of foresight, but I have yet to hear of anyone other than a few elves whom have such a power." Gandalf takes the pipe out of his mouth, and he begins to mutter something to himself, almost inaudibly. He finishes whatever he was saying, and he turns to her. "You mustn't speak a word of your dreams. Keep them to yourself, else you may cause more destruction than that which is already fated. I must have your word."

Juniper laughs bitterly, "You have my word only if it means my family will no longer trouble me conversations about those dreaded dreams."

"They merely worry about you," he says. Your family cannot help but believe you are growing too fast, and they are not prepared to see you off."

"They'd most likely lock me away when it comes time for me to court," Juniper jests.

"I would hate to see the day when Theoden has to give his daughter away in marriage," he agreed. Juniper laughs, and both begin to discuss trivial things. When the skies begin to color for the evening, Gandalf and she returned to the Golden Hall of Meduseld, and Gandalf bid his goodbyes, leaving Juniper to fend for herself. "Remember all that I told you," he warned.

"Of course," she agreed.

Later that evening, Juniper and Eowyn were sitting with their elder brothers and Theoden. Four hours on in, Juniper had been asked questions about her meeting with Gandalf. "Why won't you tell us, little cousin?" Eomer asked.

"Because my conversation with the wizard is private. I promised him I would keep quiet, and, for the final time, I shall not go back on my word," Juniper growls out of annoyance.

Eomer huffs, but then he laughs bitterly. He mutters something under his breath. No one can understand what he is saying, but it doesn't matter, not to Juniper. Juniper sits with her ankles crossed; she lays her head on the arm of the chair, hiding her face in the hole she forms between the two arms. The weight of her conversation with Gandalf just hit her, and it hits her hard. At the time, she had just blown it off, like it was no big deal. It was a peaceful conversation with a grandfather-type figure, but now- now she realizes her promise that she made to Gandalf meant she really can't say anything about her discussion. She made a promise with a wizard- a wizard, mind you- who placed a spell on her. Now, she cannot even utter a word about the discussion earlier in the day. Oh, how she wants to tell Eomer, Eowyn, her brother, and her father all about it. How she wants to brag about how they shouldn't ask about the dreams that ail her. However, she cannot.

The silence in the room lingers on, save for the awkward moment in which a servant pours tea for her father. It is deafening, and Juniper groans in frustration. "What ails you, child?"

"Nothing, Papa," Juniper yawns, hiding her face once more. "I suppose I should just go to rest for the night."

"Goodnight, sister," Theodred says.

"Goodnight, Juni," repeats Eowyn.

"Sleep peacefully, child," Theoden adds.

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I hope this wasn't too bad. I had a hard time writing this chapter.

What do you all think?


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